Setiu River Terrapin Research and Recovery

Program

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E.H. Chan*, G. Kuchling, C. L. Soh* and P. N. Chen* *Turtle Research and Rehabilitation

Group Institute of Oceanography University

Malaysia Terengganu

A lotus flower from the Setiu River, June 2008

Thank You!•Rick and Symposium sponsors for a travel grant

•Hugh for urging me to attend this conference

•TCF, TSA and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for seed grants

•Current project sponsors: Terengganu State Government

University Malaysia Terengganu Aquaria KLCC

Participants of STOP (Save our Turtles Outreach Program)

•My bosses in the university for approving my travel

•Local villagers of the Setiu River for assistance, support

and participation

Southern river terrapin, recently assigned its new name, Batagur affinis (Praschag et al 2008)

•One of the most critically endangered river turtles in the world•Extirpated in its range, viable wild populations found only in Malaysia•Known to occur in 5 river systems in Malaysia, with current collective nesting density of 200 nests per year •Conservation programs carried out by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Malaysia, with captive breeding programs in 2 states.

Redang Island

Setiu River

South China Sea

State of Terengganu

(land area of about 13,000 km2

and population a little over 1 million)

40 km in length, 4 known nesting banks for Ba

River No. of Nests

Besut River No records

Setiu River 23

Terengganu River

99

Dungun River 13

Paka River No records

Total Nests for 2008

135

Ba nesting status in Terengganu in 2008

Ba conservation program of DWLNP does not cover Setiu River

Setiu River Terrapin Research and Recovery Program initiated in 2004 to fill in this gap.

If terrapins fail to lay, they are brought to the villager’s house and held in small tanks and a few nights later are put in trenches to induce laying. Practice clearly undesirable.

Villagers waiting by nesting banks for river terrapins to ascend during nesting season from mid January to Mid-March

Setiu river terrapin population subjected to intense egg exploitation for decades

A branch of the Setiu River

Approach adopted by project:

Encourage local villagers to sell the eggs to the project for incubation.

Raise funds to purchase eggs from local villagers

Engage villager from local community to help buy the eggs for incubation.

Initially egg incubation carried out in the university

Starting 2007, egg incubation carried out in the village by a local village family.

Within the university, develop research projects to answer specific conservation needs of the terrapins.

Project components, output and developments presented in 2005 ASCBFTT

This presentation will highlight project activities carried out from 2004 -2008.

The Practical Aspects of the Conservation ProgramLocal community participation integral part of program

Lina, fisherman’s wife helps to buy eggs from local villagers

Eggs incubated in the village by Lina

Lina’s daughter, Nurqis gets to see terrapin hatchlings for the first time in her life

Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Eggs purchased 364 278 384 229 245

Eggs hatched 236 147 275 180 139

Hatch rate 65 % 52 % 71 % 79 % 57 %

Total eggs incubated : 1500 since 2004

Total hatchlings produced : 977

Hatchlings raised for 3 years in tanks before release

Size attained in 3 yrs: 1.8 kg, SCL: 24 cm, SCW:20 cm

Egg purchase, incubation , and hatching success from 2004 - 2008

Terrapin releases now celebrated as “Annual Terrapin Independence Day”

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Year 2005 2006 2007 2008

No. released

150 40 50 88

Record of terrapin releases

Total released : 328State Dignitaries and guests

Release by village elders and egg collectors

Activities Held in Conjunction with Terrapin Independence Day

Exhibitions and displays in local schools

Explanation of project achievements to villagers

Art and craftPerformances Gifts of appreciation

Parade of decorated boats by the villagers

71 year-old Pak Harun, the winner

Activities Held in Conjunction with Terrapin Independence Day

Research Projects

1. Endoscopic sex determination and TSD studies

2. Feeding experiments

3. Monitoring of head-started Ba by a sampling program using large-mesh gill nets

4. Tracking the movements of head-started Ba after release.

1. Endoscopic sex determination and TSD studies made possible with the collaboration of Gerald Kuchling

Findings

2004 : All eggs incubated in styrofoam boxes kept indoors at room temp. produced 100% male terrapins.

1st trimester 2nd Trimester 3rd Trimester M : F ratio Intersex

29.7 + 1.0 oC 30.5 + 1.2 oC 29.4 + 1.0 oC 24 : 6 0

- 31.7 + 1.0 oC 31.7 + 0.9 oC 5 : 8 2

2005 (temperatures not monitored)

Incubation room (set at 34oC, ) : 100% FIncubation box (set at 28 - 29 oC) : 100% M Incubation box (set at 31 – 33 oC): 100% F

(hatch rates at 33 and 34oC very low)

2006 (temperatures monitored by I-buttons)

2. Feeding experiments

Experiments carried out to determine• optimal food • feeding regimes /rations• Satiation amounts • Stocking density

General conclusions:

Food: Tilapia pellets suppl. with water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica)

Ration: 2% body weight per day, offered over 2 feedings per day

Stocking density : no more than 60g/l of water

Graduate student Pelf carrying out the feeding experiments

Ipomoea aquatica

3. Monitoring of head-started and wild Ba using large-mesh gill nets (mesh size 25.4 cm, 5.5 m deep, 30 – 36 m long)

Capture of wild adult Ba (generally poor)

• 2003 : 4 male and 1 female adult wild Ba

• 2004/05 : 4 adult female Ba

• 2005/06 : 1 male and 3 female adult Ba

Recaptures of head-started Ba•Low recapture rates•Of 20 4-yr olds released in July 2003, only 3 recaptured within the next 2 months, one (B31) recaptured in 2005 (final weight gain of 2.6 kg)•Of 50 3-yr olds released in Aug. 2003, only 7 recaptured within the following 2 months, one (B66) recaptured in 2004, 2005 and 2006 (final weight gain of 3 kg)•Of 150 1-yr old released in 2005, only 1 recaptured in 2006 (weight gain of 0.3 kg)

Recapture data indicative of ability of head-started terrapins to survive and grow in the wild after release

4. Tracking the movements of head-started terrapins after release

•aim : to determine survival and performance of head-started terrapins

•In 2007, radio tracking was attempted, but radio waves failed to transmit through brackish water.

•2008, ultrasonic tracking attempted.

•4 terrapins of varying sizes deployed with VEMCO (V9, V13, V16) ultrasonic transmitters

Collaborator: Prof. Tom Herman

11507 and 11521 : lost contact after a week

11516 : lost contact afer one month

11509 : last date detected : 9 Sept 2008

Point of release

Location fixes of 4 Ba tracked using ultrasonic transmitters

We need to fine-tune our methodologies to increase contact rates with tagged terrapins

• The Setiu River project has demonstrated willingness of local villagers to participate in terrapin conservation.

• Monetary gains to participating villager/s has to be ensured.

• Challenge is to raise necessary funding to extend the project to other nesting banks currently not protected by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks of Malaysia.

• Threats (sand-mining, fishing mortality, pollutants from agricultural activities) need to be addressed.

• Need to explore ways to ensure project continuity and sustainability.

Concluding Remarks